Differential Responses of Barley Landraces and Improved Barley Cultivars to Nitrogen-Phosphorus Fertilizer

• Published in: Journal of plant nutrition 2008-02, Vol.31 (1-3), p.381-393
• Main Authors: Ryan, J, Masri, S, Ceccarelli, S, Grando, S, Ibrikci, H
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Agronomy. Soil science and plant productions; Barley; Biological and medical sciences; cultivars; drought; dryland cereal cropping; dryland farming; Economic plant physiology; fertilizer rates; fertilizer use; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; General agronomy. Plant production; Genetics and breeding of economic plants; genotype × fertilizer interaction; germplasm; germplasm screening; grain yield; Hordeum vulgare; landraces; Mediterranean agriculture; Metabolism; Metabolism. Physicochemical requirements; Nitrogen fertilization; nitrogen fertilizers; Nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium fertilizations; Nutrition. Photosynthesis. Respiration. Metabolism; phosphorus fertilizers; plant adaptation; Plant physiology and development; rain; response to fertilizer; soil fertility; Soil-plant relationships. Soil fertility. Fertilization. Amendments; water stress
• ISSN: 0190-4167; 1532-4087
• DOI: 10.1080/01904160801894939

Barley is traditionally grown in the Mediterranean region as a dryland crop, invariably under drought-stressed conditions and often without inputs such as fertilizer. Following research that demonstrated the benefits of fertilization, even under less-than-favourable rainfall condition, fertilizer use on cereals has increased dramatically in the past few decades in countries of West Asia-North Africa. With developments in breeding new barley cultivars for higher yield, combined with disease resistance and environmental adaptability, it is crucial to assess the extent to which such cultivars respond to fertilizer inputs as this may affect aspects of a breeding strategy, particularly the choice of germplasm for adaptation in any particular environment. Thus, we assessed the yield potential of 30 barley cultivars with a range of germplasm types, including new cultivars and landraces, in a greenhouse in two soil types with and without adequate nitrogen and phosphorus fertilizer, i.e., low and high fertility. By comparison with the unfertilized low fertility soils, the fertilizer treatment increased yield parameters by about 10-fold. However, the rankings of some cultivars changed markedly with fertilization; some increased, others showed poor responses and decreased relatively, and two performed well with and without fertilizer. Based on the differential responses at the initial screening stage in the greenhouse, it is possible to identify lines or cultivars that are highly responsive to fertilizers and to incorporate such germplasm for further development to produce high-yielding cultivars for commercial adoption by farmers.